Electric switch



C. J. KLEIN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED IuLY's. 1914.

1,313,701. PaIenIed Aug. 19, 1919.

. s' 27 a z2 l INSULATION' (1:1. KLEIN.

ELECTHIC SWITCH.

ArPLlcATlcN mso JULY 3.19m.

1,313,701 luliuniod Aug. 19, 1919.

iinrrnn einer .is retentir onirica.

CHARLES J. KLEIN, OF MILWAULIEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE CUTLER-I-IAlIIMEB. MFG. CO., OI? MIL'W'AUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION 01 WISCONSIN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. l

Specification of Letters Fatcnt.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.A

Appiicaiitn inea :nay 3, i914. seran No. 848.754.

To all whew/t may concern.'

Bc it known that I, CuAnLns J. KLEIN, a citizen ot" the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county ot lvlilwaulice and State ot lVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, ot' which the following is a itiill, clear, conv cise, and exact description, reference being had to the, accompanying drawing, forming a part otl this specification.

This invention relates to electric switches.

()ne of the objects ot' the invention to provide a cheap and etlicient snap switch mechanism particularly adapted t'or (lush switches.

A further object is to provide an iinproved switch mechanism ol.Y thc character set forth' which embodies, in combination, various novel and advantageous ll'eatures.

In order that the invention may be more readily eoinpreliended, l have illustrated two embodiments thereol in the accompanying drawing. It is to be umlerstood, however, that the invention is capable of additional embodiments, and that the device illustrated is susceptible ot modification in certain respects, without departure from the scopcot the appended claims.

ln the drawing,

Figure 1 is a top view of a V[lush switch device.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, thereo't.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line I'-3 ot Fig. 2 showingthe movable parts of the switch mechanism.

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar views showing the parts when moved,

Fig. (3 is a sectional view on the lines (3-( of Fig. 1. l

liig. 7 is a detailed perspective ol' a terminal contact.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view ol a .modified 'form ot the switch mechanism, and.,

Figs. 9 and l() are sectional views on the line tls-S) ol' Fig. 8 showing the movable parts ot the mechanism.

The switch mechanism illustrated coniprises, in general, an oscillatingl contactor adapted to open and close circuit 'between stationary contacts and inherently (zo-acting with such' contacts to resist movement until energy is stored in a resilient device for imparting atsnap moveinegiit to the contacter when on'e 'of a pair of operating push buttons approaches its limit. ol depression.

Referring more specifically to the mechanism shown in Sheet 1 of the drawings, a block .l ot insulation is mounted to rock on a central spindle 2 supported in nprights 25 ot a. skeleton Ytraine 4. The ends of the block ai'e curvilinear and concentric with the spindle. At diagonally opposite corners, 'that is at points transversely alined with the spindle 2, the block is provided with peripheral grooves 5 and at the other corners with similar grooves (3. Conducting' hands 7 are seated in one set of the gipovcs, cry., the groove 6. 4

l wo pairs ot stationary contact-s 8 and S) are mounted at opposite ends of the block and are provided with spaced, resilient, curved extren'iities l() arranged to rest within the lgrooves 5 in one position ot the block,

fl'. r., when circuit is open, and to rest withcontacts 8 b v one ot the bands '7, and across the other contacts il by the other band. It is to be noted also that the resilient contarts` while positioned. in the opposite grooves, act to yieldably restrain the block against movement, and this releasahle lock is utilized to hold the contacter against rocking until sullicient energy is stored in an operative connection with the push buttons to ell'ect ay snap movcii'ient ot' the block, aS will appear liel'cina'lter.

The operating members of the switch comprise a pair olt plates l1 having push buttons l2 and l at their upper ends which protrude through suitable openings in the lrame t and an ornamental face plate 14. 'lhe plates il :irc disposed on opposite sides ol the block and are provided with slots 15 through which the spindle 9. extends and. with cars lo taking into guiding slots 17 in the nprights I. laeh plate is also provided with a lateral oi'l'set having an open transverse slot 1S.

'.lhi4 operative connection between the push buttons and the contacter, referred to above, includes a coil spring 1!) positioned through the block t with its ends` 2() and 21 on opposite, sides thereot and a pair of short rocking levers 22 (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) suitabl \Y locked o1' keyed to the spindle 2. lilacli ol' these levers has a lost motion con- ,nection at one end with an iiperatinig plate 11 and a loose engagement. at thc other end lost motion connection just mentioned comis itselfheld against rotation by the resilient" interlockofthe stationary contacts which bld-Ck l fol ..engagement with the, dep-ressd -end of a spring as' the. corresponding push.-. y

prisessti ds- 23 on the levers'itting within the slots 8 of tlie plates.

Four stationary .contacts (oi'i e o f which is shown in perspective in Fig. 7) are mounted in thecorners ofa rectangular .chamber of.

a suitable 'insulating receptacle. 24. Each` of the contacts carries a bindingpost disposed adjacenta conductor aperture 4in thereceptacle.

Assuming the push button 12 to be in elevated position and the circuit broken, asv

Iis' represented in Figi '3, depression of the push button effects the following operation: The contiguous lever-22 is rocked, with-the' spindle' 2 as its axis, so thatthe opposite end of the lever .raises the end V20. of the spring. At the same time, the rotation of the spindle is transmitted to the other rockinglever which turns and raises the opposite push button 13. The other end oi the coil spring is restrained against movement, however, by engagement with a stud 25 pro= vided on the side'ofthe block. 'fThe latter rest Within the grooves 5 vas abovesetforth.

'As depression of the push buttonis con-v tinued, the j springis tensione'd 'until' vthe rising end thereof abutsa studQ located on the sideof the block, whereupon a direct connection is established between the' push lbutton and the contact member .so 'thatpositive. movement is transmitted to the latter for overcoming the resilient restraint of the contacts. The/energy` stored in the spring 19 then snaps the. block to opposite extreme position. Inthisposition the resilient contacts 1 0 `rest on the conducting bands 7 and v circuit is accordingly/closed. Pressure'oii the pushbutton 13, however,` will ei'ect a snap movement of the contacter in van opposite direction' through the-operation of the parts working reversely, .it being 'understood that studs` 25 and 2.6 are provided on i both sides of the block..

in'order t@ reduce nab-nity of ming' between the stationary contacts, the en ds of the block are provided with medial raised portions 27 constituting an 'insulating barrier I between the resilient extremities of the re spective pairs of contacts. It isto be noted" also that the oppositere'ciprocation of the push buttons is effected bythep'arts which accomplishoth'er functions aswell, sc that the construction of the 'device is simplified.'-4 Moreover, the location of the spring 19." eccentric to its axis enables easy' assembly-- of the parts and insures a maximum ten ,-sioning of the ys ring' by a maxiinumlever device is relatively small and 'the action'of age so that thevworce required-to operate thethe mechanism is smooth. Referring to the Shect'Q of thcdrawings,

disposed parallel to .the vvam the switch mechanismillustrated is, general, similar to-that alreadyfdescribed. Iii

sides of the insulating block.

each spring-is offset transverselywith T eposite vsides thereof and .on opposite .sides and 'the other structural details'reniain simi-p lar to ,the forni already. described.

Theblock l is held against'oscillation by the resilient interlock with-stationary confacts Seated in a pair of thepei'ipheral depressed by -fthe offset 3l on'the sliding ,spectto the .spindle 2 and 4has its endv o`ii op;vv

.75 vof offset studs 31 on the sliding lp'l ate s' 11. vThe stationary"- contacts .ofthefinechanisiii' j grooves.. vPressure on the push-button 12 causes the lowereiid of the spring' 29 'to'be plate. llwhile the opposite endof the spring is. lield stationary by engagement' with the spindle 2. At thesame time. the. opposite push-button is raised vand fthe] spring 3 0 works in asimilar manner, tending to throwv the-block -l in the -sanie rotative direction. A stud 32is provided. on each side. of the buttonapproaches its limitjof'travel. By

this. means a;v positive connection is estab-- 'lished and'mo'vement is imparted tothe block i for overcoming jthe resilient lock thereof.

4 What I claim 'by Letters 4Patent is 1 In an electric HuShsWitc'h, vin combination', a pair of movable operating members,

as new and desire to secure. y

acontact member pivoted at right angles to the direction of. movement of saidv operating members, an energy-storing connectio'nbed` t'ween said contact member. andsaid operat-.

ing member s, restraining means `for said contact member and means on said contact member to bepositivelyactuated by said.

operating members for .overcoming there-y stra'int. of said restraining means;

. In an electric flush switch, inicombination, a pair vof spaced rectilinearlyfmovable operating members, an. oscillatory contact member therebetween and movable on. anv axis atv right angles Ato the direction of movement thereof,j an energy'storing con- I riectioi between-said contact member andc said operating .members for exerting pressure on the'former to move-they same,`xand 120,

rel'easable restraining means' for :said`v .C0ntact member adapted yto' release the .same at a predetermined pressure thereon.

1 3. Inv an electric 'iiush switch,fin combina- .tion, a 4rectilinearly movable operatingmember, 'a p ivoted contact-member and an' energy storing operative connection between saidmembers including a coil spring I 4. In an electric switch, in combination, a rectilinear-ly movable operating member, a pivoted contact member, a coil spring having its axis disposed in a straight line parallel to the aXis of said conta-ct member but eccentric thereto, an operative connection between one end of said spring and said operating member, and an operative connection between the other end of said spring and said contact member, said connections eiiecting tensioning of said spring when said operating member is actuated, and mears to restrain movement of said contact nember while said spring is tensioned.

5. In an electric Hush switch, in combination` a pair of spaced pus; button operating members, a Contact mem er pivoted therebett Ien upon an axis at right angles to the directitm oi movement thereof, energy Storing means including a coiled spring having its ends disposed 0n opposite sides of said contact member, an operative' connection between each end of said spring and its adjacent operating member when the latter is moved in one direction, an operative connection between each end of said spring and the adjacent. side of 4said bleek when said operating member is moved in yan opposite direction and means to lrestrain movement of said contact member until energy is stored 1n said means.

6. In an electric Hush switch, in combination, a pivoted insulating block having,r

spaced peripheral grooves, a conducting band seated in one ot' said grooves, a pair of stationary contacts having spaced resilient extremities adapted to rest within either of said grooves in accordance With the position of said block, said block having a raised portion disposed between the extremi- 'contact member for ties of said stationary contacts, and means for imparting a sna movementv to said block for positioning t e same to receive the extremities of 'said stationary contacts in either of said grooves.

7. In an electric switch, in combination, a push-button operating contact member, a coll spring associated with said members, means to check movement of said contact member, a shoulder on said contact member for restraining an end of said sprin a shoulder on said operatin member or moving the other end of sai spring, and a second shoulder 'on said contact member to be engaged by said last mentioned end of said sprmg for establishing a direct connection with said operating member to overcome said means.

t In an electric fiush switch, in combination, a pair of push-button operating members, a pivoted contact member, a coil spring aving ends on opposite sides of said contact member and adjacent said operating members, means to check movement of said contact member, a lug on each side of said restraining an end of said spring, a lug on each of said operating members for moving the unrestrained end of said spring, and a second lug on each side of said contact member to be engaged and moved by said last mentioned end of said spring after energy is stored in the latter.

I'n witness whereof I have hereunto subsrribed my name in the presence of two witnesses. v l

CHARLES J. KLEIN. Witnesses V ELIZABETH EBERLY,

i. A. lVA'rsoN.

member, a pivoted4 

